Irony
by ElScorcho23
Summary: Takes place after Thanksgiving, with Seth trying to get Summer. Eh, just read it!
1. One

I just can't write anything OC except Seth/Summer. Oh well. Okay, this story will go from Thanksgiving, probably ignoring what happens in future episodes. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Read on!  
  
______________  
  
Seth felt terrible. He had made out with two hot girls that dug him, and it had turned out to be one of the worst days of his life. Irony at its best.  
  
Fine, so he had been eyeing and admiring Anna all day, and when she had kissed him he hadn't exactly resisted. Actually, he'd been pretty thrilled, and his favorite holiday had gained a few bonus points.  
  
So what had happened?  
  
The kitchen had happened.  
  
"SETH!"  
  
Despite the nonchalance he was trying to hold, his stomach didn't feel so great as he tried to sleep that night. That might have had something to do with the overabundance of Chinese takeout that he'd eaten, but he really didn't think so. It was Summer.  
  
It wasn't Anna. He hated the fact that he had hurt her, hated the fact that he had likely put an end to their friendship, but it still wasn't her. It was never her. She was cute and funny... but he liked to be the funny one, anyway.  
  
The kitchen had been a wakeup call, and not just to the fact that he'd been acting like a moron. He wanted Summer.  
  
Lying in bed was definitely not helping, so he rolled off and knocked on the pool house door.  
  
"What's up?" Ryan was sitting up on his bed, reading.  
  
Seth took a deep breath and launched into it. "So the whole two girls thing, not so good, but being the eternal optimist, though slightly jaded, I'm thinking that while I was an ass I can probably pull through this one, because it's not like Summer was ever that great to me, not that that's an excuse, because god she was beautiful, and I don't think Anna's too happy with me because she's not exactly the type you can push around, so this isn't looking so great but there's still hope, I mean, she called me Seth."  
  
Ryan looked at Seth blankly for a minute.  
  
"Dude, I have no idea what you just said."  
  
"She called me Seth."  
  
Ryan cocked an eyebrow. "Okay."  
  
"I don't think that Summer has ever called me Seth," he explained with a sigh. "So the kissing had to mean more to her than just, well, nothing."  
  
"Which means it probably hurt worse when you screwed it up," Ryan pointed out bluntly.  
  
"Right. Thanks for throwing that out there. Always a help, Ryan."  
  
"Hey, I'm not the one who got you into this," he said. "Look, you need to talk to both of them, soon."  
  
"What, and not give them time to cool off?"  
  
"And not give them time to dwell on what a jerk you were."  
  
Seth didn't feel any need to protest, because he was right.  
  
"So now you're funny AND wise. Great." Seth gave Ryan a smile before he left.  
  
______________  
  
Summer slammed her locker shut and saw Seth Cohen smiling nervously at her.  
  
"Hey, Summer."  
  
"Ugh, what?" She turned on her heel and marched away, so he followed her.  
  
"I just want to say that I'm really really.... really sorry. There are no excuses. I mean, I was just caught up in the moment or something." He paused, unable to figure it if she was even listening to him.  
  
"It's fine, Cohen," she said lightly, keeping her quick pace.  
  
"It's what?"  
  
"I said it's fine. We all make mistakes." She still wasn't looking at him.  
  
"Oh, um, okay." He was unsure.  
  
"For example," she paused outside the girls' bathroom door, "Your grandfather's birthday party? Mistake. The yacht? Mistake. The pool house? Definitely a mistake. That's three for me."  
  
Seth felt the blood rush to his face, and his neck burned. Before he could think of anything to say, Summer had disappeared into the bathroom. Great.  
  
Seth wasn't sure how long he had been staring at the door when Anna sauntered up.  
  
"You only look slightly obsessive and girl crazy... but then, that would be an accurate description," she rolled her eyes as she passed him. She bumped into Summer as the brunette tried to exit. "That explains it," Anna said breezily, shooting Seth a look before slipping behind the door. Summer glared at him as she walked by, and Seth let out an overdramatic sigh.  
  
"Love is a many splendored thing," he muttered aloud sarcastically to himself.  
  
"Shut it, queer," some guy shoved him as he passed.  
  
Seth dragged his feet to class. He was on a role.  
  
______________  
  
Friday night. It was no surprise that Seth's options consisted of comics or Grand Theft Auto, since Ryan had Marisa and neither of the girls had changed their mind about him. Anna had stopped making biting comments at him and was ignoring him altogether, and he wasn't sure if this was progress or not. He never got any reaction from Summer, and it was starting to drive him crazy. He would have paid a large sum of money just to hear her berate him or something.  
  
Even a "Shut it, Cohen!" or an "Ew!" would have been welcome.  
  
Instead, she just gave him this look of grief with her eyes. It was torturous.  
  
There was a knock at his door, and he tossed Captain Oats aside as Marisa entered.  
  
"Oh, hey," he greeted, a little surprised.  
  
"Hey," she gave her typical little smile and sat on the edge of his bed. He followed suit.  
  
"So, I wouldn't be surprised if you hated me too," Seth commented after a moment's silence.  
  
"I'm just going to stay out of it," Marisa shrugged. "Though it definitely wasn't your finest moment."  
  
"You're telling me. Who knew I was such a Don Juan?"  
  
"Don't overestimate yourself," Marisa smiled again. "So what are you doing tonight?"  
  
"Likely spending some quality time with Captain Oats," Seth jerked his head towards the toy horse. "What with all the ladies, it seems there's never any time for male bonding."  
  
"Right... anyway. Ryan and I are going to a party... you should come."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't know. It'll get you out of the house."  
  
"I mean, why are you two going to a party?" It was a reasonable question, considering both had been a little antisocial since school had started.  
  
"I don't know," Marisa repeated. "Free alcohol?" She shrugged.  
  
"If I'm looking for a self esteem booster, I don't think mingling with the high schoolers of Orange County is my best bet. I'll stick with Captain Oats."  
  
"With the way things are looking for you, there will be PLENTY of time for male bonding."  
  
"Can't argue with you there."  
  
"Besides," Marisa stood up, "Summer will be there."  
  
"Whoa, wait. Back up. That, Ms. Cooper, is all the more reason why I should NOT go. If you haven't noticed, she hates me. A lot. She does not want to see me, especially with other people around. Trust me."  
  
"Trust ME, Cohen," Marisa raised her eyebrows. "I'm her best friend."  
  
She left it at that, and Seth gave a little sigh. He wasn't too optimistic on the possible outcomes of the night, but he decided to give it a shot.  
  
If nothing else, he could get wasted. And it wasn't like Captain Oats was going anywhere.  
  
______________  
  
I know this is kind of a slow start without any real meat to it, but I'm just getting started. It's weird to be writing Seth/Summer and actually following the show (even if it's just a little), because I usually don't use the episodes' events. Anyway, hopefully I'll update soon. Wednesday's show may give me some inspiration. Ideas are always welcome! 


	2. Two

They had only been at the party a few minutes, and Ryan and Marisa were already making out in a corner. Seth wondered bitterly why they even bothered leaving the pool house.  
  
The scene was typical, and Seth was getting a few odd glances, so he decided to head for the deck. He had nothing better to do. He had been out there for half an hour when Summer found him.  
  
"You do realize that you're a complete jackass, right?"  
  
Her hands went to her hips, and Seth nodded immediately. "I am not just a complete jackass, I am THE complete jackass. There has never been... uh.. a more jackass-ier guy than me. You know what? I'm scum. Scum am I."  
  
She gave him a look. "You're also kind of an idiot."  
  
"The most idiotic jackass of all time. Ever," he affirmed.  
  
"And I really should never talk to you again."  
  
"And I wouldn't blame you," he continued. "But, uh, that would kind of suck on my part. Not that I don't deserve it. Because I suck."  
  
"Right." She stared at him, and he shifted uneasily.  
  
The silence was getting to him, and she didn't seem in any big hurry to break it. Seth squirmed.  
  
"So."  
  
More silence.  
  
"Is there, ah, anything I can do to make it up to you? Anything at all. Dinner? Movies? A little pool house entertainment?" He knew that he was pushing his luck, but Seth wasn't known for his ability to keep his head during a rambling session.  
  
"That will definitely NOT be necessary."  
  
"Tell me what I can do, then." His voice got a little softer, and he ducked his head to meet her eyes, which suddenly darted away. "I'm really sorry, Summer. I didn't mean to hurt you."  
  
She suddenly tensed. "I never said you HURT me, Cohen. God. We were just... kissing." She shook her head with a little scoff and turned to walk back into the house.  
  
"Ah, denial," Seth said in a knowing voice.  
  
"You are like, the last person on earth who should be telling me how I feel, okay? Okay." She turned back to face him.  
  
"Yes ma'am.. because right now I'm sensing hatred." Her eyes narrowed. "Yep, definitely hatred. I'm... going to shut up now."  
  
"I find that hard to believe."  
  
"Come on, you can do better than that." He sent her a little smile.  
  
"What?"  
  
"We've established that I'm a jackass, scum, an idiot, and that I suck, and you're still pretty mad, and rightfully so, so just, uh, let it out. Let me have it. I can take it."  
  
"How about the fact that you're a self-absorbed, cocky moron who thinks he's a LOT more clever than he actually is, who acts like he can get away with anything, and who puts on this anti-Newport front even though he's just as spoiled and egotistic as everyone else? We could go into the fact that just because you're a great kisser you think you can apologize and I'm going to jump you or something. You're the one who reads comic books and has nothing better to do than sit out on the stupid deck, and somehow you're the one that makes me feel like shit."  
  
"I'm a great kisser?" Seth couldn't help but throw it in there.  
  
"Ugh!" Summer rolled her eyes, frustrated.  
  
"Wait wait," Seth wiped the smile off of his face. "Honestly, the last thing I want to do is make you feel bad. I don't want her, okay? Just you." It was one of those rare occasions that Seth couldn't think of anything to say, so he just shrugged.  
  
"Right... now you turn all sensitive." She had made it to the door before she whirled around, walked back over to him, and kissed him. Before Seth had gained his composure she was inside.  
  
"Wow, deja vu," he muttered.  
  
_______________  
  
"Another kiss and run, Ryan. What am I supposed to do with that?"  
  
Ryan extracted the knife from Seth's waving hands and spread peanut butter on his own bread. "First off, no sharp objects."  
  
"Hah. Hah. I'm serious."  
  
"Well," Ryan tossed the knife in the kitchen sink. "She obviously still likes you."  
  
"She called me, like, four thousand crappy things."  
  
"Right before she kissed you," Ryan interjected, shaking his head a little bit.  
  
"So what do I do now?!" His arms were flailing again.  
  
"Suck up?"  
  
"I've been doing that for years!"  
  
"Right, but now she's noticing you," Ryan said patiently, taking a bite of his sandwich.  
  
Seth considered this, then smiled. He grabbed his keys and bounded off, leaving his untouched sandwich on a plate. Ryan rolled his eyes and grabbed it, taking a bite.  
  
_______________  
  
Seth stumbled into the house a few hours later, his arms slung with bags. Ryan took a look at the bags, studied his friend's face, then the bags again.  
  
"As much as I appreciate the non-helping, I think helping would be a lot better," Seth said, holding his right arm out. Ryan took the bags, his look skeptical.  
  
"Is there any particular reason why you bought out Hollister?"  
  
Seth pretended to ignore him, tossing the bags on his bed.  
  
"A new summer wardrobe?" He asked with a smirk.  
  
"Okay, so the Summer puns? Getting old."  
  
"I never pegged you as the type to sell out for a girl," Ryan said casually, watching for a reaction.  
  
Seth let out an overly loud laugh. "Ryan. This is not selling out. This... this is simply a temporary step to..."  
  
"To get Summer," Ryan finished.  
  
"It wouldn't hurt you to try something other than a white undershirt," Seth laughed.  
  
"Fashion advice from Seth Cohen. Right," Ryan pulled a pair of pants out of a bag and scrutinized them.  
  
"I can see the judgment in those moody and telling eyes of yours, Atwood."  
  
Ryan shook his head. "Nope, just looking. If it makes you.. or, uh, Summer.. happy, then go for it."  
  
"Well. What's wrong with them?" Seth couldn't help but ask.  
  
"Paint stains?" Ryan turned the pants to display the carefully placed splatters.  
  
"I know, they're terrible," Seth agreed.  
  
Ryan continued rooting through the bags, sending the occasional scoff and remark out for Seth to hear.  
  
Seth shrugged. "Laugh now if you must, fan of the undershirt, but my efforts won't be in vain. It's all in the name of love, my friend."  
  
_______________  
  
Seth drummed his fingers lightly on his knee as he sat on the edge of his bed. He studied his phone, finally dialing.  
  
"Can I help you?" The tone was cool, unaffected.  
  
"Anna... hey."  
  
"Can I help you?" She repeated.  
  
"Anna, I just want to apologize, okay? I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I honestly didn't mean to hurt you, I didn't want to hurt anyone, I was in way over my head. I've never had girls actually like me before, and much less two, and I didn't mean to screw everything up."  
  
"Screw what up?"  
  
"Uh.. what?"  
  
"Screw WHAT up, Seth? Did you not mean to ruin our friendship by kissing me, or are you sorry that you messed up what could have been something more?"  
  
Seth resumed the nervous movement of his fingers. "Actually, I mostly... Anna, you're one of my best friends."  
  
He hoped that it didn't sound as lame as he thought that it did.  
  
She made a little clicking sound.  
  
"Anna?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"All I can say is that I'm sorry... and I mean that. Can I just see you?"  
  
"I'll think about it."  
  
Seth figured that he could have done a lot worse. "Okay. Great. Because I miss you, alright?"  
  
"I miss you too, Seth."  
  
A smile broke out over his face. "Really?"  
  
"Of course. Dork. Look... I'll talk to you later, okay?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
"And I'm still mad at you."  
  
"Of course, yes, mad is good. Well, not good, but better than furious, right?"  
  
"Bye Seth."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Seth hung up, feeling a little bit better. Anna was still frustrated, but she was getting over it, and she missed him. A wave of relief washed over him, but it wasn't permanent.  
  
One down, one to go.  
  
_______________  
  
Okay, so I used Hollister as my example just because, but if anybody can think of some ultra-preppy or whatever store that's more appropriate, let me know. Other than that, review please!! I'll write as fast as I can. THANKS for reading!!!! 


End file.
